Trip Hazards

After last night's happenings, I've been thinking about hiring myself out as a Trip Hazard Locator. If there's something to trip over, I'll find it! It's not a safe job, but a satisfying one.

Last night I managed to trip and fall over the rug that is close to where I sit on the sofa. I stood up and walked toward our kitchen, taking my glass of water with me. One metre into my journey, trip, fall, scattering the contents of my glass and crashing down on my bottom and twisting my right foot painfully. Very, very painfully.

I can't remember the last time I felt such pain. It's OK today, a bit painful, but I can walk on it, carefully. I certainly wasn't able to do my usual Wii Fit exercises this morning. I've done one exercise this morning, and I intend lifting my small hand weights today. I have some other exercises that I do sitting down. I suspect sitting down will be how most of today is going to go.

Exercise is important to me. I have Multiple Sclerosis, MS, and I'm working at staying up and walking. The more I do, the more I can do. So, perhaps I won't do the Trip Hazard Locator job, I might end up too damaged!

Trips in the home, though, are a constant issue with people like me. I have what's called 'foot drop' in my right leg. The muscles on my right side are weaker than my left side, because of the damage I have in my Central Nervous System. It's quite a common thing for people who have MS. I have an orthotic device which assists me, but I rarely use this when I'm just sitting around at home.

Perhaps if I'd been wearing my 'foot up' device, I wouldn't have tripped last night. I don't know, but it's something to think about. When a person has something like MS, they have lots of things to think about. From which shoes to wear, to the weather being too hot or OK, you need to think about the issues and possible consequences of making the wrong decisions.

Life has become a more mindful thing for me. I have given myself permission to sit and think, and I'm finding great calm from this. If I have a thing I want to do, I'll consider the thing, and usually plan it in a way that makes it work. In the past, I might have just gone and done it, or tried to do it, but failed. Now days my tasks are planned well, and they work. My MS hasn't ruined my life, it's remade my life.

Promoting Happiness for All

'If you adjust what you want to what you can achieve, you will be happy with what you get.'


Often what people want is completely at odds with what they need. Getting what you want, but ignoring what you need can lead to an unhappy life.

If you have enough food, good shelter and people to love who love you, you have enough. Wanting more than that is one of the reasons for dissatisfaction in life. People living in the Western World are being conned by big business, and we're told we should get everything we want.

This is a thing that leads to happiness for big business perhaps, but not for ordinary people.

Being satisfied with simple things in your life can be the most wonderful feeling in the world. Those simple things can be precious to the person who can see their true value.

I'm satisfied with my family and friends, my dogs and the good food I have every day.

That is what I need in my life, and that is what I get.

I am a Happy Person!

How I try to live my life

Now, I'm not saying my way is the best way to live life, I'm just going to tell my own way. We're all different, and if the way you live your life works for you, and you're enjoying you life, well done.

That said, I know there are many people suffering because they hate the life they're living. It's a terrible thing, suffering through life, when life is there to be loved and enjoyed. If you think there are huge things in the way, and you'll never be able to enjoy life until those things are gone, well, you may be thinking the wrong way about things.

Money, good health, friends, fame, these things are great if you have them, but many people have them and still don't enjoy their life. Then there are people who seem to have nothing, but seem happy. How is it so?

Well, I've been thinking about these things in the past year and a half. I've come to the realisation, and I'm backed up by others far more learned than me, that our happiness comes from within, not from outside of us. When you look at a child playing, they can seem so happy, sitting on the ground and making things with blocks, or sticks and dirt.

If we can go back to our childhood and find joy and happiness with such simple things, we can live a happy life forever, if we let ourselves do it. I have a family I love and who love me, I have a house, enough money, and moderately good health. I also have friends who love or at least care about me. I am able to be listened to, and have my words read by others. I am HAPPY!

I couldn't be much happier than I am right now (well, if I had another car to replace the one I wrecked, that might do it!). So, I wrecked my car, did I plunge into depression? No, I was sad, but so relieved to be uninjured and alive still. I also met some wonderful people the night my car crashed. Wonderful people who did all they could to help me, when they could easily have just driven on, and left me there.

I was so thrilled to see again that there are still lovely, caring people in the world. That is one of my strongest feelings about the night I wrecked my car. I've been able to write two poems about the night too, and I suspect my creative writing about the night yet again is part of what helped me to get through a thing that could have been traumatic.

So, anyway, if I can live a happy life, living as I do with a chronic illness with no cure, and with no car at the moment, what's holding you back? Smile and take a good look at your life - if you can wake up and get out of bed without too much pain, that's surely the beginning of a happy day, so SMILE!